Sign.



No. 709,024. e l Patented sept. I6, 902.

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(Application filed Apre 17, 1902.)

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JOHN LORIOH, JR., OF BUFFALO, NEW-YORK.

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SPECIFGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,024, dated ASepteionloer 16, 1902.

Application filed April 1'7, 1902. Serial No. 103,369. (No model.) t

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN LORICH, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Sign, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to signs, and whileparticularlyintended as a route-sign to be used upon cars for thepurpose of indicating their direction or route it will be readily apparent that it may be employed for other purposes. t

One of the principal objects is to provide a sign that can be employed by day or night, being illuminated by means of a lamp, which is so arranged and protected that no direct rays thereof are employed; bttt said rays are deflected and diffused, so that the entire sign is uniformly, though brightly, illu minated.

The preferred embodiment of this invent-ion is fully illust-ratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sign as ordinarily constructed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig'. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line el 4 of Fig. 3. i

Similarnumeralsofreferencedesignate corresponding parts in all the figures ofthe drawings.

In carrying out the invention as shown a casing is provided, which is made up of a wooden core or frame 10, forming a rectangular boxing having its front side open. The sides, top, and bottom of this frame are covered by a metallic sheathing 11, preferably, though not necessarily, of copper. The side walls extend in front of the front edges of the frame and are provided with inturned iianges 12, that are located over but. spaced from said front edges to form opposi rely-arranged guideways 13, which extend the entire length of the casing. In like manner the sheathing covering the bottom is provided with an u pstanding flange 14, spaced from the front edge ofthe bottom of the boxing to forma seat 15. Within the casing and extending t'rom end to end thereof is a concave reflector 1.6, which may be of any desired construction, said reflector having outstanding flanges 17 at its side edges,which are secured to the front edges of the box 10. As a result it will be seen that theguideways 13are entirely lined with metal.

The top and bottom of the casing are also provided With linings 18, which are likewise of light-reflecting material.

Secured within and upon the bottom of the casing is a lamp-socket 19, to which are attached electric conducting-wires 20, thatrlead through the rear of the casing and may be attached to any suitable source of electric energy. In this socket is seated an incandescent lamp 21, of any desired or 'well-known construction.

Slidably mounted in the guideways 13is an opaque closure 22, which extends across the lower portion of the casing to a point in line with orabove the lamp, said lampbeingthereby` completely inclosed. The inner face of the closure 22 is preferably coated with a light-reflectingsubstance. Thisclosure preferably has at its upper end a groove or seat 23,thatextendsentirelyacross thesameinline with the guideways 13. A transparent sign 24, of any desired construction, is also slidably mounted in the guideways 13 and covers the remainder of the open side of the casing, its lower edge fitting in the seat 23 of the closure 22. This sign is provided with suitable lettering and preferably has a handle 25 at its upper end. The guideways 13 are made of sufficient width to permit au opaque shield `2G being slidably mounted in thesatne in; rear of the transparent sign 24, said opaque shield also having at its upperend a rearwardly-extending handle 27. The sign is arranged to be supported by means of one or more hooks, as 28, secured to the outer rearf face of the casing, as shown inFig. 2.

During the day the sign is employed as shown in Figs. land 2, the light of course being extinguished and the opaque shield 2G being arranged behind the transparent sign, said shield being of any desirable color that will permanently set out the lettering. At night said shield is removed and the lamp lighted. It will be observed that the casing is practically divided by means of the closure 22 and the transparent sign into two compartments, the lower of which is entirely inclosed by opaque walls that completely house the lamp, so that no direct rays can pass therefrom to the exterior ofthe casing. These several walls, however, constitute reiiectors, so that the light will be transmitted `to the upper cotnpartment and will be uniformlyA thrown by the reflectors therein through the transparent sign. Should it become desirable or necessary1 to gain access to the lamp, it is only necessary to remove the sign and raise the closure, thus exposing the lamp and the socket in which it is seated. It Will of course be understood that any desirable legend may be displayed, and several different ones can be employed,\vhich can be changed when necessary.

By this construction it will be seen that an extremely simple and inexpensive sign is provided, which may be employed for a variety of purposes, though it is especially useful as a route-lamp for street-cars. It may be used both day and night, and when illuminated there vare no direct rays of light transmitted to the eye from the lamp; but said rays are diffused and deflected uniformly through the sign, which is brilliantly illuminated thereby.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it Will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a sign of the class described, the coinbination with a casing having an open side, of an opaque closure slidably mounted upon the casing and coveringa portion of the open side thereof, a transparent sign removably mounted upon the casing and covering the remainder of the open side of the same, and a lamp arranged Within the casing behind the opaque closure.

2. In a sign ofthe class described, the cornbination with an open-sided casing having gnideways in its edges contiguous to its open side, of an opaque closure slidable in the guideways and inclosing a part of the open side of the casing, a transparent sign also slidable in the guideways and covering the remainder of the open side of the casing, and a lamp arranged Within the casing behind the opaque closure.

' 3. In a sign of the class described, the combination With an open-sided casing having guideways in its edges contiguous to its open side and extending from end to end thereof, of an opaque closure slidable in the guide- Ways and closing a part of the open side of the casing, a transparent sign also slidable in the guideways and covering the remainder of the open side of the casing, said sign abutting against the end of the opaque closure, and a lamp arranged within the casing behind the opaque closure.

4. In a sign of the class described, the combination with an open-sided casing having guideways in its edges contiguous to its open side and extending from end to end, of an opaque closure slidable in the guideways and closing a part of the open side of the casing, said closure having a groove in one edge, a transparent sign also slidable in the guide- Ways and covering the remainder of the open side of the casing, said sign fitting in the groove of the closure, and a lamp arranged within the casing behind the opaque closure.

5. In a sign of the class described, the combination With an open-sided casing comprising a Wooden frame, a metal sheathing covering the frame and having inturned flanges located over and spaced from the edges of the frame to form guideways in the edges of the casing contiguous to its open side, a reflector arranged Within the casing, a lamp mounted in front of the reflector, and a transparent sign slidably mounted in the guideways.

6. In asign of the class described, the combination with an open-sided casing having grooves in its opposite edges contiguous toits open side, of a lamp arranged Within the casing, a transparent sign slidably mounted Within the grooves, and an opaque shield also slidably mounted in the grooves and interposed between the sign and the lamp.

7. In a sign of the class described, the cornbination with an open-sided casing having grooves in its opposite edges contiguous to its open side, of a lamp arranged Within the casing, an opaque closure slidably mounted in the grooves and having a seat in one edge that alines With the same, said closure being disposed in front of the lamp, a transparent sign also slidably mounted in the grooves and having one edge itted in the seat of an opaque closure, and au opaque shield slidably mounted in the grooves in rear of the sign, said shield also having one edge itted in the seat of the closure.

8. In a sign of the class described, the corubination with a casing, of a concave reflector arranged Within the casing and extending completely across the same,said reflector having outturned flanges at its side edges that overlap the edges of the casing, inturned anges secured to the casing and spaced from the flanges ot the reflector forming grooves,

a sign slidably mounted in the grooves, and a lamp located Within the casing.

9. In a sign of the class described, the coinbination with a Wooden casing having an open side, of a reflector arranged Within the casing and having its edges overlapping the edges of the open side of said casing, a sheathing covering the exterior of the casing and having its edges inturned over but spaced from the edges of the reflector, thereby forining grooves, a sign slidably mounted in theV grooves, and a lamp located Within the casing. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

' JOHN LORICII, JR. Witnesses:

EUGENE P. OUcHIE, MICHAEL A. SEATON.

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